Austin's walking progress...

Austin's walking has progressed and I am impressed on how much he wants to do it even though his wonderful older brother seems to think it is funny to knock him down. I got him a pair of shoes and he acted like a dog would if you put them and stepped around real funny and looked like he had cement blocks on.

This is one of Austin walking only in the beginning and then I tried to get Logan but it was fuzzy

Here Logan did his infamous bumping into Austin...kinda funny but not really. Brothers will be brothers

Boys will be boys...

Mike had some camo face paint lying around his shop at work and even though they probably don't use it for his job, he thought it would be fun to bring it home and get the boys painted all up! They had a blast even though I was freaking out about them getting it on our couches. Perhaps this summer they can have fun OUTSIDE with it! This is when it gets good living with all boys...

Lover Never Fails...

Most everyone knows 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, it is read at weddings and comes to mind of when thinking about a spouse or someone you love. But have you ever replaced the word LOVE with GOD? When I heard this song of course I thought of the marriage that I have been so blessed with. My wonderful husband who has exceeded every expectation since the day we met and continues to make my heart well up with love and adoration. The other day we had some intense fellowship and I hopped in the car and this song was playing and totally melted my heart and all my frustrations away. I remember when Mike and I were in our early years of marriage, we were driving along the 5 in CA coming back from his family's in Modesto and we got in one of our many heated arguments during that phase in our relationship. As we were giving each other the silent treatment we both looked up at one of the biggest and most bold billboards and it read: "Need Marriage Counseling? --God" We both looked at each other dumbfounded and very humbled. Needless to say we laugh about that day often.

1 John 4:8 says "Whoever does not Love does not know God, because God is love." God is love, that basically sums Him up! If you put all things together, it all leads back to love in Christ's way of loving. An Unconditional love. A kind of love that we aren't able to do even a little of the time! But think about God's amazing love towards us...so forgiving, jealous, passionate, etc. When I thought about this song and replaced the word "Love" with "God". It took on a whole new meaning for me! It humbled me, made me even more crazy in love with God and those around us, and ignited new passions. I know this is quite personal, but why not talk about God's love and all that he does for us? Why not? It is so great and it effects us EVERYDAY! I hope you guys like the song...I am going to try and get a link up here for youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2HMuADj5mA

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

Austin's family celebration

I thought I would do some comparison pictures for you guys of my two boys at one year old. In two of the pics they are wearing the same shirt. So amazing to see such differences yet great similarities. I remember Logan's shin-dig...he was so tired and overwhelmed. He usually didn't want to be held, but all he wanted was in momma's arms that night. Plus my cake wasn't as good as the one I made for Austin. Yes, I have slacked more with the second. At least it isn't in love!

We had a great day on the 18th! Woke up happy and ate all his breakfast. Made it out the door to a mom's bible study and home for a great lunch! I made Austin's cake early in the morning and let them cool all day till their nap. That is when I got to work. There really was no particular reason for making a dinosaur cake, but just to have something different than cars or monster trucks. Plus I like challenges and this was one of them! To tell you the truth though, it ended up being so easy just time consuming. We went out to Moes because that is Austin's favorite place (yeah right, just an excuse to go eat out-plus a coupon!) and then headed back for some delish cake. Austin enjoyed it, but would have rather been fed it than try himself. Enjoy the pictures!

Austin had his 12 month appointment yesterday...found out he had an ear infection and he got 5 shots...poor baby. His stats are 23 lbs, 30.5 inches, and something like 25% for head circumference. All on track!

Mike asked me why we were decorating for Austin and I knew that we have to treat him equal, I wanted to get Logan excited for his birthday coming up, and HELLO he is turning one!

These were just a few of the wonderful and cute cards we got. Thank you to all for the sweet thoughts and gifts!

The dino cake was made of 2 nine inch cakes. I made the chocolate cake from scratch (easiest and the most moist cake ever!) One of the cakes you cut in half for the body and the other cut for the appendages.

Used chocolate frosting to hold it together. Yes...I ate some

Then I covered the body in a thin layer of green frosting and then started the piping. I was pretty disappointed because the star shaped tip was too big and didn't give the effect that I wanted. Still delicious though!

Fondant was used for the scales.

M & M's for the toes, teeth, and eyes

"Rooooaaaarrrr"

He wanted to dig in!

"Where's Austin!!!"

Putting his mouth in it!!!!

He likes to touch his face...oh no!!!

Feeding Daddy

Love the green frosting!

Loving brothers

wrestling together

Wrestling fun and a smiley face!

Mike got home a little earlier tonight and we had a relaxed evening full of....wrestling!!! Austin has really gotten into it and impatiently waits his turn to be tickled and thrown. Yes he is wearing his Birthday Boy shirt (the same one logan did) a day early because he had "school" today.

This is how Austin gives kisses...i would have put up the other pictures I have, but it looks like mouth to mouth. He is such a sweetie!

Toddeling on over to me!!!

Logan recently got in to drawing smiley faces and he added the legs, hair and arms on his own. I know most 2 year olds and almost 3 year olds can draw pretty well already, but he hasn't really gotten into drawing and I was impressed how he did this all by himself. I am not sure if he will be an artist, but I am so proud of him! (the lines on the bottom and side of the bodies are arms and legs)

More NC and family pics!

So I know most of my recent posts have been about NC so forgive me. I have been taking lots of pics with our camera and I wanna share them! Also, I didn't get to share with you that we got to go on a double date this last weekend with our friends for the first time in over 3 years! We had a long wait at the restaurant, but oh was the food good! I even got to feel Casey's baby girl kick and move around. Such a wonderful miracle! Thank you for letting me rub your belly! It had snowed the morning we drove down there so Mike and Joe went out and made a snow...creation, I guess you could say. I hear it is still there even though all the other snow has melted days ago!

Since we were there on Valentine's Day we woke up to these wonderful crafts and treats! Casey was so thoughtful and secretive about it! I am sure she put it up on the counter one of the many times she was awake during the night. It was so sweet! It took all of me not to dig into the mike and ikes for breakfast!

I get tingles everytime I get to see my family as a whole. I am so proud and so blessed!!!

Me and my little man....

Nose kisses...such a sweet boy!

I pray they will be best friends! Maybe if I start telling them they are now, then it will happen??!?!

Opening Presents and random

Here are some random pics...first of the boys at breakfast time and then opening some of Austin's presents. We just got a new camera (a nice DSLR Nikon after having the good old point and shoot ones) and have been having fun trying it out!

Logan winking

Such a perfect smile!

"Where's Austin?"

Giving us the "look"

He got a bunch of books for his birthday...this boy is gonna be a reader! He talks to himself and reads all the books...such a cutie!

Austin and Casey after the present opening. They got him a couple of books that are gonna be favorites! At least they are my favorites!

Mike and our friend Joe playing games...they had a good time!

Austin enjoyed Dakota and chased after her all day!

So much love!!!

Austin's cupcake!!

(A little out of order I know) Here is Austin enjoying his first cupcake and even his first sweets! Just like Logan we kept (or tried to keep) Austin from having pure sugar until he turned one. He had a "Happy Birthday" cupcake with buttercream frosting and vanilla/lemon cake. He surprisingly wasn't that into it. I think that it was a little heavy for him, but I sure enjoyed finishing it for him!

Austin waiting for the cupcake!

Happy Birthday!!

Singing to him and Logan blew out the candles

He immediately dug in and played with the frosting!

Pretty nummy!!!

With the Birthday boy!

Austin decided he was done with the cupcake and wanted to eat his shoe

Logan of course enjoyed a cupcake

He missed the plate

Love my Austin!!!